By Nancy Rynes, author of Awakenings from the Light
As an oil painter, most of the time I choose my subject matter from an idea of form, light, or color that I want to capture. Sometimes it's a feeling...as an example, I wanted to capture the energy and playfulness that horses can demonstrate, so "Horse Play" was born:
But there are times when a subject just demands to be painted because something deeply spiritual, mystical, or loving needs to come into being in the physical world. This was the case with the painting called, "I Remember."
It flowed effortlessly from my brushes and palette onto the canvas over one weekend...this portrait of a Navajo elder, seemingly lost in thought, perhaps remembering the events of her long life. The painting was truly coming through me, not from me as many of them do.
While am mostly a Caucasian girl by genetics (with a fair bit of Inca, Polynesian, and North African ancestry too), I felt a connection to this woman from the first brush stroke. Perhaps our common bond of motherhood drew me to her, or because of some spiritual connection I can't describe. I knew simply that I had to bring her to life and, in some way, give her my respect and gratitude.
But the most amazing part of the story came the day after I completed the painting. I had just finished up with one of my energy session clients and was clearing out the room when a poem came to me that I knew immediately was a companion to the painting. The poem arrived in my awareness almost completely finished -- it was as if I was simply taking dictation from the spiritual realm. I polished up a few wording issues, but it's reproduced here almost as it came to me. Perhaps it was my own creativity that crafted this poem independent of anyone else, although I don't think that's quite true. Perhaps the Divine spoke to me, or maybe it was me being connected with the collective consciousness of so many Native women who had lived here in the past. I'm not quite sure...perhaps it's all of those. After all, we are One.
I Remember
(by Nancy Rynes and Spirit)
I remember when the western winds blew unencumbered across the prairies that teemed with buffalo.
...The winter fires burning in camps safely nestled in canyons, hidden from the cold north winds; The spirit-teachers, storytellers, keeping our children entertained and educated with the history of our people.
I remember when I was young, long before the sky was clouded with metal birds and city smoke, my feet running through the fields of corn and squash, my hands collecting pollen and blossoms; my mother smiling, shaking her head, and telling me the stories of how the corn came into being; and singing as we planted the fields, chanting our spiritual connection with Creator, our history, and our love for each other.
I remember a young man, his mother and mine agreeing on a match, a marriage, both of us in awe at the unfolding of our place in the next turn of life;
...Then later, holding our firstborn as he lay in my arms, a young boy of five winters taking his last breath because of the sickness that came to us that winter. I wept, felt like my heart would never heal, my sorrow would never leave me.
I remember the birth of my next child, a daughter. Brave but sweet, she brought joy and love back into our hearts. And after her, two more sons who grew proud and strong. And in time, grandchildren, daughters who passed on our ways, sons who used our language to help rid the earth of a great darkness.
I remember sitting with my husband in front of a warm fire, recalling the days of our lives together, laid out in our minds as if they were yesterday. And in time, holding his hand as he took his last breath of this life while our children and grandchildren sang for him, for us, and for a life lived well.
I remember taking my first breath...or was it my last? My soul shaking itself out of the confines of an old, aching body, free to become the spirit of that young girl again, running through the corn...
...or perhaps flying away and returning to the stars.
For all of you who are mothers, thank you for the love you give to your families, friends, and communities. You are full of Beauty!
Blessings,
Nancy
As an oil painter, most of the time I choose my subject matter from an idea of form, light, or color that I want to capture. Sometimes it's a feeling...as an example, I wanted to capture the energy and playfulness that horses can demonstrate, so "Horse Play" was born:
But there are times when a subject just demands to be painted because something deeply spiritual, mystical, or loving needs to come into being in the physical world. This was the case with the painting called, "I Remember."
It flowed effortlessly from my brushes and palette onto the canvas over one weekend...this portrait of a Navajo elder, seemingly lost in thought, perhaps remembering the events of her long life. The painting was truly coming through me, not from me as many of them do.
While am mostly a Caucasian girl by genetics (with a fair bit of Inca, Polynesian, and North African ancestry too), I felt a connection to this woman from the first brush stroke. Perhaps our common bond of motherhood drew me to her, or because of some spiritual connection I can't describe. I knew simply that I had to bring her to life and, in some way, give her my respect and gratitude.
But the most amazing part of the story came the day after I completed the painting. I had just finished up with one of my energy session clients and was clearing out the room when a poem came to me that I knew immediately was a companion to the painting. The poem arrived in my awareness almost completely finished -- it was as if I was simply taking dictation from the spiritual realm. I polished up a few wording issues, but it's reproduced here almost as it came to me. Perhaps it was my own creativity that crafted this poem independent of anyone else, although I don't think that's quite true. Perhaps the Divine spoke to me, or maybe it was me being connected with the collective consciousness of so many Native women who had lived here in the past. I'm not quite sure...perhaps it's all of those. After all, we are One.
I Remember
(by Nancy Rynes and Spirit)
I remember when the western winds blew unencumbered across the prairies that teemed with buffalo.
...The winter fires burning in camps safely nestled in canyons, hidden from the cold north winds; The spirit-teachers, storytellers, keeping our children entertained and educated with the history of our people.
I remember when I was young, long before the sky was clouded with metal birds and city smoke, my feet running through the fields of corn and squash, my hands collecting pollen and blossoms; my mother smiling, shaking her head, and telling me the stories of how the corn came into being; and singing as we planted the fields, chanting our spiritual connection with Creator, our history, and our love for each other.
I remember a young man, his mother and mine agreeing on a match, a marriage, both of us in awe at the unfolding of our place in the next turn of life;
...Then later, holding our firstborn as he lay in my arms, a young boy of five winters taking his last breath because of the sickness that came to us that winter. I wept, felt like my heart would never heal, my sorrow would never leave me.
I remember the birth of my next child, a daughter. Brave but sweet, she brought joy and love back into our hearts. And after her, two more sons who grew proud and strong. And in time, grandchildren, daughters who passed on our ways, sons who used our language to help rid the earth of a great darkness.
I remember sitting with my husband in front of a warm fire, recalling the days of our lives together, laid out in our minds as if they were yesterday. And in time, holding his hand as he took his last breath of this life while our children and grandchildren sang for him, for us, and for a life lived well.
I remember taking my first breath...or was it my last? My soul shaking itself out of the confines of an old, aching body, free to become the spirit of that young girl again, running through the corn...
...or perhaps flying away and returning to the stars.
For all of you who are mothers, thank you for the love you give to your families, friends, and communities. You are full of Beauty!
Blessings,
Nancy
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Hi Nancy,
Thanks again for our session yesterday. I just wanted to let you know that I slept like a rock last night (which felt great), and I had three different people today say that I looked “radiant” and that my face was “glowing”. One woman confided to me that she could see auras and said that I had the most beautiful pink and yellow glow around me. Wow!
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Bio: Nancy Rynes is a speaker, artist, and author of "Awakenings from the Light" (available from Amazon.com). Nancy's books and workshops teach you how to bring a little bit of Heaven to your life on Earth. She divides her time between Seattle, Washington and Tucson, AZ. Check out her website at NancyRynes.com
Copyright © 2018-2019 Nancy Rynes, All rights reserved.